Windmill



March 48. R. D. BOURNE I WINDMILL Filed April 8, 1945 I 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR RAYMOND P. BOURNE,

i ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 9, 1`948 f UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE Raymond D. Bourne, Middletown, Ohio Y Application April 8, 1943, Serial No. 482,240

4 Claims. 1 v This invention relates to devices for deriving power from the wind.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved wind power mechanism that is able to produce a greater lamount of power in proportion to its size than previous devices.

`Another object `of the invention is to provide a wind power vmechanism that will always rotate in the sa-me direction regardless of the direction of attack of the wind tothe mechanism. Y

Another object of the invention is to provide a wind power unit that 'is Iconstructed and arranged so that the power yblades of the devi-ce are rotatable in a manner that they will be caught by the wind when moving down-wind and will lay parallel to the wind when moving upwind.`

Another object of the invention 'is to provide a wind power unit capable of driving a suitable power driven mechanism that is constructed and arranged so that the power bladesrwhen moving out of the down-wind will initiatefmovement of other power blades into their power position when moving into the wind.y Y

It is a still further'object of the invention to provide a wind power unit that is constructed and arranged in a manner that there will always be at least one power blade .in a position to be driven fby the wind.

It is another object kof the invention to provide a win-d power unit wherein the power blades will automatically set themselves to their power position when mov-ing into the wind, and 4will automatically set themselves into a position parallel with the wind when moving against the wind.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the drawings and the following description.

Inthe drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective elevational view of a wind power unit incorporating 'features of this invention.

Figure 2 is -a vertical cross sectional view of the device dis-closed in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is ra top plan view of ythe device closed in Figure 1.

'Figure 4 is an end elevational view of the gear rack of the device showing the manner forguiding the gear segment'thereon.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a modified form of the invention partially in cross section.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional View of the pivot post of the device shown in' Figure 5 taken along line 6-6 of Figure 5..

dis-

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view taken along line 1-1 of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of another mod'ied form of the invention wherein the power blades are mounted oincenter for producing theirv rotation.

Figure 9 yis a vertical cross sectional view taken along line 9-9 `of Figure 8.

'Fig-ure 1'0 ls a vertical cross sectional view taken Y along line Ill-I0 of Figure 8.

Figure'll is a top plan view of slightly different arrangement of the device disclosed in Figure 8 as applied to a three-bladed wind power unit.

Figure 12 is va vertical cross sectional view taken along `line I2-.I2 of Figure 11.

Figure `13 is a vertical cross sectional view taken along line I 3--13 of Figure 11.

As disclosed in Figures 1 to 4 the device of this invention consists of a bracket orV turntable member I0 that is supported by a power shaft II. rA bearing member I2 is provided between a shoulder I3 on the powershaft II and a shoulder ,Il provided on a support housing I'5. 'I'he bearing member -I2 is preferably a lubricant sealed ball lbearing member so that it can operate vover prolonged periods of time without attention. vA center ksupport post I 6 is secured to the turntable III by means or bolts I1, the post I6 having a hollow interior I8, a closed top kWall .I9 and a transverse partition 20. f

Support members 2I and 22 are provided on opposite ends of the turntable l0 and support' gear segments 23 and 24, respectively. Pinions 25 and 26 are provided for rotation upon the v gear segments 23 and '24, respectively and are adapted to support one end of each of the power blades 21 and`28.

A shaft 29 extends from the pinion 25, rigid therewith, which engages the power blade 21k and the end thereof is provided with a yoke 30 that extends over the edge of the power blade 21 and is secured thereto by rivets 3l or other suitable means. A similar shaft 32 extends from the pinion k26 and engages the edge of the power blade 28 being fastened thereto by means of the rivets 33. Y

The opposite edges of the power blades 21 and 28 are provided with shafts 34 and 35, respectively, that are secured to the edge of the blades by means of the yokes 36 and 31. The shaft 34 .extends through the bearings 38 provided in a yoke 39 that is pivotally mounted on the transverse wall 2l) by means of the yoke pivot pin 4i), the yoke being retained in position upon the transverse wall 20 by'means of the nut 4I.

The shaft 35 extends through the bearings 42 provided in a similar yoke 43 that is pivotally sustained from the top wall le of the support post i6 by means of the yoke pivot pin 44, the nut 45 retaining the yoke 43 in position upon the top wall i9. A sprocket chain 45 extends over suitable sprockets that are carried upon the shafts 34 and 55, respectively, these sprockets being secured to the shafts 34 and 35 to rotate therewith.

The pinions 25 and 25 heretofore referred to as co-operating with the gear segments 23 and 24 are provided with an arcuate protrusion 41 extending from each of the pinions 25 and 25, one of the pinions being shown in Figure 4 in more detail. The protrusion 41 engages a groove 48 provided longitudinally in a bar 43 that extends across the top of the gear segments 23 and 24, the end walls 5a and 5i of the gear segments providing means for stopping travel of the pinion upon the gear segment, as well as providing the support means for the guide bar 49.

Assuming the wind to be moving in the direction of the arrow, as shown on'Figure` 1, the power blades 21 and 25 will be in the position, as shown on Figure 1, the pinions 25 and 25 being positioned against the end walls 5l whereby the power blade 2S cannot rotate any further and will stand in a vertical position to receive the full force of the wind until it has moved to a position substantially parallel to the wind. Y At this timesthe power blade 21 is approaching the position wherein the wind may strike the same and which changes its position from that of being parallel to the Awind to a position wherein it will be atV right angles to the wind. As the momentum of the device carries it around so that the power blade 21 is then on the right-hand side of the figure, as viewed in Figure 1, the wind will strike the blade and tend to rotate the same from aposition parallel to the wind to a position at right angles to the wind. As soon as the wind catches the lower edge of the power blade 21 it i will rotate because the pinion 25 will be against the wall 5| and can rotate across the gear segment 23 until it strikes the end wall 55. Similarly, when the power blade 23 moves from the right to the left, or counterclockwise, as viewed in Figure Vl, and tends to rotate into the wind, the pinion 25 will leave the end wall 5| and will rotate over the gear segment 24 until it strikes the end wall 50 whereby the power blade 28 will be changed from a position at right angles to the wind to a position parallel to the wind. Under these conditions the power blades 21 and 28 will have altered their position from that shown in Figure 1. When the power blade 28 tends to move with the wind whenl approaching the wind on the left-hand side of the device, as viewed in Figure 1, it will rotate the sprocket carried upon the shaft 25, and thereby rotate the chain to rotate the sprocket carried upon the shaft 34 and initiate lifting the forward edge of the power blade 21 so that the wind can then pick up the power blade 21 and continue to lift the same until it is in a position at right angles to the wind.

Under certain circumstances the movement of the wind may be relatively light and under these conditions the movement of the power blade 28 would complete the rotation of the power blade 21 upon the axis provided by the shafts 35 and 29to place the same into power position so thatl direction of movement of the wind when the blades are on the right-hand side of the device as viewed in Figure 1.

If the wind should suddenly shift its direction of movement so that it would come from the opposite direction from that indicated by the arrow on Figure 1, the power blade 28 would im# mediately tend to move clockwise about the support post i5 until the pinion 21 engages the end wall 55. This movement would rotate the power blade 21 to bring its power position at right angles to the direction of movement of the wind so that even though the wind directions should suddenly change the direction of rotation of the wind power unit would remain constant in one direction.

From the foregoing operation it will be understoodl that the shafts 34 and 35 on the power blades 21 and 23 rotate the yokes 39 and 43 upon their pivots 4l] and 44, respectively when shifting from one position to the other so that the openings 52 and 53 are in the nature of elongated slots to provide for the movement ,of the shafts 34 and 35 during the operation of the device.

It is to be understood, of course, that the rotation of the turntable Il) drives the power shaft l i which can be connected toany suitable device that is to be drivenby a power source. It will also be recognized that the device of this inven` tion is capable of producing a greater quantity of power for a given size than conventional wind power devices because none of the blades of the device oppose the force of the wind during its operation.

In Figures 5 to 7 there is shown a modified form of apparatus wherein the turntable, or turn bar 55, carries a power shaft 5I that is supported within a support housing 62, whereby the power shaft t! forms the axis of rotation for the turn bar 5Fl. The power blades 63 and 64 are provided on opposite sides of a center support member 55 that extends upwardly from the turntable or turn bar 50.

The power blades 63 and 64 are supported at opposite ends of a shaft 66, at right angles to one another, that extends through an elongated slot 51 provided in the center support 65. Suitable collars 68 are secured to the shaft 66 to position the same within the center support 65 and to prevent axial movement of the shaft 66.

The power blade 63 is provided with a pivot shaft 69 secured ion the end thereof that extends through a pivot bearing 1U` and is prevented from axial movement by means of the nut 1l. The pivot bearing 10 consists of a vertical support member 12 that has a shaft 13 extending therefrom which passes through the turntable or turn bar 6D, as shown in Figure 6, and is retained in position by means of the nut 14, The pivot bearing 1B can thereby rotate upon the axis of the shaft 13 when the Dow-er blade 63 oscillates in a manner that will be hereinafter described.

The power blade 54 carries a shaft 15 that has a pinion 16 positionedupon the shaft 15 and freely rotatable thereon, the pinion 16 being retained ion the shaft 15 by means of the nut 11. The pinion 16 engages an arcuately shaped rack 18 that is secured to the turntable or turn bar 60.

The operation of the device disclosed in Figure 5 is such that rotation of the turn bar 60 will alternately change the positions of the power blade 53 and4 from a position parallel to the wind to a position at right angles to the wind. Assuming the wind to be travelling in the direction of the arrow, as shown in Figure 5, the power Vabout the .axis of the. .power shaft 9|.

assess@ blade 54 .is La posi-tion tcireceive the full loros ofthe windand thepinion 15 will be against the stopV 19 provided on the .end of the .rack 8, where by the devine will bexroilated -Counterclockwiso about the axis of the shaft 6|.

When the drwice rotates so that the power blade 64 begins to :move to the left-hand lside of :the figures.. as viewed in Figure 15. .so that the wind will .be striking the opposite face of the power .blade .64, the wind will drive the blade to .cause the blade :|54 and the blade Et to rotate the bearing `pivot "l about itsv axis 13 until the pinion 16 engages the stop 89 on the end of theraek 19;.v 'Rotation or the. pinion it over rack'lwill produce rota-tion ci the power blades 63 and 64 upon the axis lof the shafts 99 and 'EE whereby the power blade 63 that is entering the rightehand rside .of Figure will be positioned at :ghtzangies to the wind while the power blade 64 v that is entering the left-hand .side of Figure 5 tolobposite ends of a shaft 95 .that is rotatably mounted in the central support post 99 and is providedwith collars S'Ithat prevent axial movement .of the `shaft 95,. The opposite ends of the power blades .93 land 94 Vare lprovided with support shafts 98 and 99, respectively;v that are journaled inthe end suliinort members lut :and iti, respectively.

The power blades 93 and .94 are mounted .to the shafts 95, 98 and 99 so that these shafts are in coaxial alignment and the blades .are positione'd .at right angles to one another. `The power blades 93 and .94 are also mounted so that a line through the axis of. their shafts is substantially below the middle point between the top and loo-tn tom edges of the lpower'blades vas shown on the power blade -94 in Figure 8, the area of the upper portion A .of the power blade ,9.4 being substan tially greater than thelarea of the -lower portion B. When the power blade 9:3 is inl a vertical position the same area relationship holds true.

' The shaft 99 for the power blad-e 9.4 carries arm |02 that is rigidly secured thereto for rotation with the shaft 99 that is adapted to `alternately engage the stop pins 1|113 and |04 carried in the member ll. A similar arm |05 11Sv l10n-rotatably secured to the shaft 98 for engaging the stop pins |96 and |97 provided in the end member L99..

The operation of the device disclosed in' Figures 8 to .1 0 is such .that .the movement of the wind will cause the power blades to assume their power position alternately asv the blades rotate Assuming the wind to he moving. in a direction to strike the face of the power blade .94, as shown in Figure .8, whichwould be .the .same wind direction'as V.that indicated by they arrows .on Figures 9 and 10, the flower blades n9.?, .and .94 will tbe in their posi.- tions as shown in Figure 8 with the arms |92 and |05 against the stop pins |94 and |91, ree spectively. The wind, therefore, expands its force uponthe blade v94 todri-ve theY turntable or turn bar 99 and thus rotate the power shaft 9|. When the power blade 94 recedes, due to movement of `bla-des as shown in Figure 8.

the wind, :and :begins 'to swing to the left-handl 5f to the. increased area A on the upper side of the axis of rotation of the power blade te will cause the blade 94 to rotate in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 9, the wind at that time striking the face-of the blade in a direction as indicated by the dotted arrow on Figure 9. Since'the spaced area A of the blade 951s greater than the area B the blade will rotate until the arm |92 strikes the stop pin |93. The initial rotation of the blade 9.4 lrotates the shaft 95 to velevate the edge E99 .of the blade 93 at a time that the blade is beginning to .enter the area on the right-hand side of the device as viewed in Figure 8. As soon as the .edge 1,93 `of the blade 93 s elevated the wind will engage the under yrace of the blade 93 Vras viewed in Figure 10, to rotate the blade 93 in a. clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 10, until the arm "|95 strikes the stop pin itt. This is due to the fact that the upper area A on the blade v93 is greater than the lower' area B. It will thus be seen that the large areas A on both blades 93 and 99 aid one another in alternately placing `the blades in their power position as shown in -ligure 8.

ln Figures 1l to '13 there is shown a slightly modied arrangement of the apparatus as disclosed in Figure 8 wherein each of the power blades is independently mounted andfunctions independently vof the other.

In this device there are three power blades l l 9,

` l l l and lf2 that are mounted radially about the center support post l 9 and equdistantly from one another. The support post H3 is mounted upon the turntable :I I4 that is provided with radially extending arms Il'5, -Il and H7, the turntable i is being secured to a suitable power shaft which is supported in a suitable housing which is heretofore described withregard to other figures of this invention.` The power blades H9, H and H2 are mounted between the center support ypost I3 and the end members H9, H9 and |29, respectively, on the arms -l i5, I I6 and H1 in a manner similar to that heretofore described Wth'regard tothe power The difference in mounting being that each of the power blades is rotatable upon its own axis independently oi the operation of the other power blades. The power blade lll is provided lwith a control arm |2| for regulating the degree of rotation thereof that operates between the stop pins |22 and |23 provided in the end memberv H9. The power blade Hl is provided vwith a similar actuating arm l2l that operates between the stop pins |25 and |29 and thevpower blade-||2 vis provided with the actuating arm' |21 that operates 4between the stop pins "|29 and |29.

'The-axis of rotation of each of the power blades lili, llt-and H2 is below the middle point between the vupper and lowerfedges ofthe power blades sotliatV the upper area A is'grea-er than the lower area Bf, as shown in Figure l2. Howeve-r, the powerbl-ades are Aso arranged that they donot reach position that is exactly parallel to the'wind asuheretofore described with regard to the otherV modiied'formsof the invention. En the arrangement `as disclosed in Figure ll the power blades are arranged'so that when their control arms! 2i areaganst the co-operating stop pin to position the blade, as shown in Figure 13, the edge |39 is disposed slightly above a normal horizontal position, for instance, about live degrees as illustrated in Figure 13. When the blades are in the position as shown in Figure 13, the edge 30 is the trailing edge of the blade, but when the blade rotates to a position wherein it is in the right-hand side of the device, as viewed in Figure 11, the edge |30 becomes the leading edge, that is insofar as the direction of movement of the air toward the device is concerned.

The operation of the device will be apparent from this description since it functions in the same manner as the device disclosed in Figure 8 except that each power blade operates independently, and can act independently of the other power blades because the inclination given to the power blades when entering the power side of the device is such that the wind will strike the underside of the power blade and lift the same upwardly by the force supplied on the upper edge A of the blade. Also, the device as shown in Figure ll has the advantage of having at least one power blade in full power position at all times.

While the apparatus disclosed and described herein constitutes preferred forms of the invention, yet it is to be understood that the apparatus is capable of mechanical alteration without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that all such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims are intended to be included herein.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A wind power mechanism including a rotatable platform, a central support member normal to said platform, end support members on the same side of said platform as said central support spaced radially from said central support member and normal Ato the platform, blade means positioned between said central support member and the end support members positioned axially at right angles to one another, shaft means rotatably supporting said blade means between said central support member and said end support members, gearing means interconnecting the shaft support means for the blade means to maintain them in a predetermined angular relationship, and means operably connecting the shaft means to said end support members for controlling horizontal planar rotation of said blade means relative tosaid rotatable platform to alternately position the same into power position at right angles to the direction of air movement against the blades comprising a pinion and a rack of predetermined length.

2. A wind power mechanism including a rotatable platform adapted to be connected to a mechanism to drive the same, a pair of power blades positioned axially at right angles to one another and including fastening means for retaining the same in this position, support members carried by said platform for supporting opposite ends of the pair of blade means, one of said support members being pivotally connected to the platform to permit the pair of blade members to rotate thereabout, and the other support member including means for rotating said blades axially to position the blades between two extreme positions one of which is at right angles to air attack to the blade and the other of which is parallel to air attack to the blade, said last mentioned means including a pinion and a rack of predetermined length to control the axial rotation of the blade means.

3. In a wind power mechanism, rotatable means adapted to be connected to a mechanism for driving the same, shaft means extending longitudinally along the longitudinal center line of blade means supported thereby which are rotatable on their own horizontal axis to position the same either normal or parallel to the movement of air thereagainst for applying power impulses to said rotatable means, means mounting each of the shaft means upon said rotatable means for horizontal planar movement thereof radially relative to the axis of the rotatable means, means interconnecting cooperating pairs of said blade means for causing rotation of the blade means upon their own :axes when horizontal movement thereof relative to the axis of the rotatable means is occasioned to thereby alternately position each of the blade means in a power position to receive a power impulse from a source of air supply to thereby rotate said rotatable means, means on said shaft means operably connected to said rotatable means for rotating said shaft means upon occasioning of said horizontal movement thereof to change the angular position of said blade means in space, and means to control the extent of said longitudinal movement of the said shaft to control the rotation thereof and thus the extent of the change of the angular spatial position of the blade means. Y

4. In a wind power mechanism, rotatable means adapted to be connected to a mechanism for driving the same, shaft means extending longitudinally along the longitudinal center line of blade means supported thereby which are rotatable on their own horizontal axes to lposition the same either normal to or parallel to the movement of air thereagainst for applying power impulses to said rotatable means, means mounting each of the saft means upon said rotatable means for horizontal planar movement thereof radially relative to the axis of the rotatable means, means interconnecting cooperating pairs of said blade means for causing rotation of the blade means upon their own axes when horizontal movement thereof relative to the axis of the rotatable means is occasioned to thereby alternately position each of the blade means in a power position to receive a power impulse from a source of air supply to thereby rotate said rotatable means, and means on said shaft means operably connected to said rotatable means for rotating said shaft means upon occasioning of said horizontal movement thereof to change the angular position of said blade means in space. I

RAYMOND D. BOURNE.

REFERENCES CETED The following references are of record in the 

